In addition to the $1,000 stipend, the Stene Scholarship — which is named in memory of a Kansas University professor — provides the recipient with registration to the ICMA Annual Conference.

“I’ll meet city managers and public officials from all across the country and get a four-day sweeping overview of their ideas and how things are run across the country,” Brewer said. “It’s a huge honor.”

Brewer, whose father runs a nonprofit called the Downtown Alliance that promotes economic development in San Antonio, said he hopes to work in city management after graduation.

“I was always exposed to and interested in how cities run and their dynamics,” said Brewer, who earned an undergraduate degree in history from the University of Washington. “And then after I graduated, I ended up working for a year for an urban planner in Seattle, and that just furthered my interest and exposure in city issues and how cities are run. UNT’s program is really highly ranked, so I decided to come back to Texas and pursue my MPA degree and turn my interest in city issues into a tangible career opportunity.”

Brewer works as a management intern with the Town of Fairview, where he receives day-to-day experience in city management that helps him apply what he learns in class.

“This would be the most rewarding career path for me, to directly see how my actions are helping people out and maximizing the public good,” he said.